Sir Charles Benedict "Ben" Ainslie, CBE (born 5 February 1977) is an English competitive sailor. The most successful sailor in Olympic history, Ainslie won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at the four Games held between 2000 and 2012.[1][2]

He is the first person to win medals in five different Olympic Games in sailing, the third person to win five Olympic medals in that sport (after Torben Grael and Robert Scheidt) and also the second to win four gold medals, after Paul Elvstrøm.[2][3][4]

He started sailing at the age of eight and first competed at the age of ten.[8] His first international competition was aged twelve at the 1989 Optimist world championships held in Japan where he placed 73rd.[citation needed]

At the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships he was in a winning position going into the closing stages of the regatta but was disqualified under rule 69 (gross misconduct) for physically threatening a photographer. Ainslie felt the photographer's boat's wake had prevented him from passing a competitor.[12]

At the beginning of 2005 Ainslie worked in the role of Tactician in the New Zealand-based Team New Zealand who were preparing to compete in the challenger selection process to win the right to Challenge for the 32nd America's Cup. In May 2005 Ainslie took the decision to relinquish the role of tactician and focus on improving his Match Racing skills as helmsman of the 'B' boat used to practise and tune the race boat helmed by Dean Barker.

Ainslie figureheaded a British challenge for the Cup alongside Sir Keith Mills the team was named Team Origin. However this challenge withdrew without competing following a period of discussion regarding the future format of the event.

For the 2013 America's Cup, Ainslie was recruited as a tactician by Oracle Team USA, as a replacement for John Kostecki during an Oracle practice session on 11 September 2013.[13] On 12 September, the following day, he replaced Kostecki going into race six of the 2013 America's Cup.[14] His Oracle Team USA beat Team New Zealand in the America's Cup decider in San Francisco on 25 September.[15]

In January 2014, it was announced that Ainslie would compete in the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series as part of his preparation for the America's Cup. The eight-race event will see him compete in a 40 feet (12 m) multi-hull boat.[17]

In August 2014, Ainslie was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.[18]

On 20 December 2014, Ainslie married former Sky Sports News presenter Georgie Thompson.[19] The couple's first child, Bellatrix, was born on 16 July 2016.[20][21]